Attention wine lovers! These Christmas presents for friends of vinophile taste should not be missing under any Christmas tree. The best thing is that these gadgets are not only welcome gifts at Christmas.
The festive season is the perfect time to encourage wine lovers in their passion, be it with a small gift such as an elegant carafe, an exquisite corkscrew or even a purchase for life such as a wine fridge.
When buying such an appliance, you are initially faced with a very significant fork in the road: should the cabinet be used to store wines for the long term, or is it about keeping a nice stock of ready-to-drink bottles at the ideal serving temperature? In the former case, we speak of a wine climate or wine storage cabinet, in the latter of a wine temperature control cabinet.
While a single temperature zone is sufficient for the models in the first category, the appliances in the second category usually have two (or even three) separately controllable temperature zones. White wine can be served straight from the cupboard at ten degrees, a lighter red wine at 14 degrees and a 20-year-old Bordeaux at 18 degrees.
The most luxurious model currently on the market, the Eurocave Royale (from €16,000), offers the option of switching between long-term storage and serving function; for the serving function, the interior can be set between six and 18 degrees, but only with a target value for the entire cabinet.
The basic question is, of course, whether it makes sense for a private household to keep such a large number of bottles at drinking temperature - for an average-sized appliance we are talking about 150 or 200 bottles. The supplier, Caso - known to amateur chefs primarily as a supplier of vacuum appliances - therefore occupies an interesting niche with small appliances that (from 550 euros) provide two temperature zones for 24 or 36 bottles .
However, it is no coincidence that the Eurocave models command such a high price. They contain sophisticated technology that regulates the humidity for long-term storage; they are whisper-quiet and low-vibration, and they can be adapted to individual requirements (for example in terms of the material and design of the cladding, and even the dimensions). The latest craze from the French luxury manufacturer is the "Divine" model (cover picture), specially designed for Champagne, in which bottles can also be stored upright to prevent them from foaming over when opened.
The workhorses among the wine refrigerators are the appliances from Liebherr, which are known for their extremely robust (industrial) technology. The author of this article recently decommissioned a Liebherr model that was almost 30 years old and had not broken down for a single day in all those years (and could have continued to operate). Liebherr's Grand Cru WKt 6451 (approx. 2000 euros) is a storage cabinet that can hold a record-breaking 312 Bordeaux bottles. The WTes 5872 Vinidor temperature control cabinet (approx. 3800 euros) has three separately controllable cooling circuits for three climate zones. Liebherr also offers models that can be built into a kitchen unit, as almost all relevant manufacturers of kitchen appliances such as Miele, Gaggenau and others do.
Eurocave Royale
The cabinet from the French company makes it possible to switch between long-term storage and temperature control. There are eleven different coverings to choose from, and custom-made products are also possible.
eurocave.com, price: from approx. € 16,000
Caso Winecomfort 24/38
Caso has refrigerators with two climate zones in its range for tempering standard household quantities of wine. The capacity is 38 or (in the picture) 24 bottles.
caso-design.de, price: approx. € 550,- (24), approx. € 700,- (38)
Liebherr Vinidor WTes 5872
With this Liebherr model, three cooling circuits can be regulated separately. For example, white wines can be kept at ten degrees, light red wines at 14 degrees and full-bodied red wines at 18 degrees. The capacity of the cabinet is 178 Bordeaux bottles.
liebherr.com, price: approx. € 3800,-
Opening a bottle of wine is more than just pulling out the cork. However, an overly fancy corkscrew is superfluous. Professionals opt for simple sommelier knives - be it in a luxury version such as Forge de Laguiole, for which you can choose handles made of juniper, barrel wood, bog oak or cow horn (prices between 200 and 300 euros). However, a less elaborate, solid model like the one from Le Creuset (approx. 40 euros) is also functional.
Advanced wine connoisseurs know of only one situation in life that cannot be mastered with a sommelier's knife: mature wines with soaked or crumbly corks require special tools. An ingenious invention is the so-called "Durand" (approx. 150 euros), which combines the principles of the spindle and the clasp corkscrew - and thus pulls even difficult corks out of the bottle.
One advanced tool is the Coravin system, in which the bottle is not opened but the cork is pierced with a special cannula. Argon flows into the bottle while the wine flows out of the device placed on the bottle. This protects the remaining wine in the bottle from oxidation and allows it to be drunk weeks or months later. The same trick now works with sparkling wines - with the help of a second new Coravin model.
Wine Decanting Cradle
This simple but efficient crank mechanism can be used to carefully decant older wines that have a deposit into a carafe with millimeter precision.
wineware.co.uk, price: approx. € 250-
La Forge de Laguiole sommelier knife
The handcrafted sommelier knives are available with handles made from different types of wood or horns.
forge-de-laguiole.com, price: € 200,- to € 300-
Le Creuset waiter's knife WT-110
The classic in a functional design: thanks to the double joint, pulling the corks is particularly easy.
lecreuset.at, price: € 45,-
The Durand
The combination of spindle and clasp corkscrew proves its worth even with very old and brittle corks.
thedurand.com, price (in wine shops): approx. € 160,-
Coravin Model Three
The Coravin system for still wines has established itself in upmarket gastronomy - it allows (expensive) wine to be taken from a bottle by the glass without the remaining contents oxidizing. It is also easy to use at home. However, argon capsules are required as consumables. Coravin is now also available for sparkling wines.
coravin.com, price: from € 230,-
An ambitious wine drinker cannot have enough carafes at home, because every wine requires a different amount of oxygen and different oxygen supply dynamics. All shapes and sizes - as a gift giver, you can be sure of this - will find a suitable destination.
Riedel news
New from Riedel are the "Amadeo" decanter in blue, the "Mosel" white wine decanter and the "Performance" glass series, which intensifies the perception of fragrances.
riedel.com, Price: € 350,- (Amadeo), € 35,- (Mosel), € 55,- (Performance)
Contento stainless steel ice cubes
If you want to chill your cocktails without watering them down with melting ice cubes, use these stainless steel ice cubes, which are pre-cooled in the freezer compartment and are easy and hygienic to clean after use.
weinco.at/en, price: approx. € 20,- (4 pieces)
Lalique bottle holder
The bottle holder from the luxury glass manufacturer Lalique is made of crystal glass and stainless steel. The glass rim shows the motif "Merles et Raisins" (blackbirds and grapes), which was created by René Lalique in 1928 for the presidential carriage of the Orient Express.
lalique.com, price: approx. € 690,-
100 Points Cork Holder
Rolling corks are a thing of the past: The cork holder made of clear crystal glass, rated 100 points by American wine critic James Suckling for fun, holds three corks.
lalique.com, price: € 250,-
Coravin Sparkling
Coravin for sparkling wines works differently to the model for still wines: the bottle is opened conventionally and the desired amount of sparkling wine is poured out. A special cap is then fitted and the bottle is "charged" with carbon dioxide from the Coravin apparatus. The wine stays fresh for about two weeks.
coravin.com, price: approx. € 450,-
